Police to take action against hoax caller after cliff search

David Sedgwick

Police say they will take action against a hoax caller who sparked a coastal search.

Emergency crews from Northumbria Police, the coastguard, Tynemouth Volunteer Life Brigade and paramedics spent several hours searching the cliffs along Whitley Bay seafront after a man said he had been injured.

The major search was sparked at 6.30pm yesterday (Thursday) after a man rang the Samaritans to say he had been severely injured after falling from cliffs near the Links.

At one point, there was around 50 people taking part in the search, including 23 from the TVLB, Blyth Coastguard Rescue Team and Newbiggin Coastguard Rescue Team.

But the search was scaled down, eventually being called off, and now police have confirmed it was a hoax.

A police spokesperson said: “Searches were carried out by officers on foot and by air and it has now been confirmed that the call was a hoax.